Who is a pro tem speaker

A pro-tem speaker is chosen with the agreement of the members of the Lok Sabha and legislative assembly, so that he can carry on the activities till the permanent speaker is not chosen. Once the new Speaker is elected, the office of the pro tem speaker ceases to exist.

Usually, the seniormost member of the house is selected for the post. The main duty of the pro-tem speaker is to administer the oath of office to new members of the house. (Express Photo by Vishal Srivastav)

Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala on Friday appointed BJP MLA KG Bopaiah as the pro-tem speaker ahead of floor test in the state assembly tomorrow. The appointment has created a furore in the Opposition camp that wanted RV Deshpande to be the interim speaker on account of his seniority in the assembly.

Here is all you need to know about the post of pro tem speaker:

Pro-tem speaker is a temporary speaker appointed for a limited time period to conduct the works in Lok Sabha or in state legislatures. When the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies have been elected, but the vote for the speaker and deputy speaker has not taken place, the pro-tem speaker is chosen for the conduct of the house.

If both speaker and the deputy speaker posts in the House lie vacant owing to death, resignation etc, then the tasks in the House are undertaken under the pro-tem speaker. In the first Lok Sabha, GV Malvanakar was first made the pro tem speaker and then appointed as the full time speaker of the house. However, after his death in 1956, 14 months before the term of the House ended on April 4, 1957, B Das was appointed the pro tem speaker.

A pro-tem speaker is chosen with the agreement of the members of the Lok Sabha and legislative assembly, so that he can carry on the activities till the permanent speaker is not chosen. Usually, the seniormost member of the house is selected for the post. The main duty of the pro-tem speaker is to administer the oath of office to new members of the house. He also enables the House to elect the new Speaker. Once the new Speaker is elected, the office of the pro tem speaker ceases to exist.